The Future Is Coming On
by UnseenBubby 117
Summary: When Noodle supposedly dies while shooting "El Manana," where did she go? How did she survive? And how will she change? Rated M to cover all ground.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gorillaz, they are the intellectual properties of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. Support them and buy Gorillaz albums and merchandise. They really are quite fantastic. This fanfiction is for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. I gain no reward other than happiness.**

**Author's Note: This is my take on Noodle's absence between Phases 2 and 3, and I am trying to include as many "true" facts about the band as possible. Please notify me of any story plot-holes or contradictions. **

Prologue

Noodle stood in front of Murdoc's Winnebago, knees shaking. Her indigo hair covered eyes, but beneath it was a tear forming in her emerald eyes. She nervously reached her fist up to the door of Murdoc's Winnie, still contemplating if she should carry out her plan. Noodle took a deep breath, and pounded on the door.

"Ugh, what the hell do you want?!" yelled Murdoc from inside. She never replied. "I'll 'ave you know that I'm in pain. Here that, Face ache? Pain! And soon you'll be in pain, you dullard!"

Murdoc opened the door, wearing nothing but a pair of black trousers and inverted cross. He was clutching his forehead, obviously hung over. He was surprised to see Noodle there, instead of 2-D.

"I-I wanted to talk to you about something, Murdoc-san," began Noodle, her high voice trembling.

"Can't it wait for, I don' know, a few hours?" asked Murdoc, wincing in pain.

"No, I need to talk to you about this now," replied Noodle.

Murdoc sighed. "All right, love, give me a mo'," he said. He walked back inside, and Noodle heard him remove a cork, a liquid swishing in a bottle, and the sounds of Murdoc swallowing. "Ahh, that's much better."

"I want to leave the band," said Noodle shyly.

"Wot?" asked Murdoc. He hadn't heard the young girl.

"I-I want to leave the band," said Noodle, a bit louder.

"You want to leave Gorillaz?" asked Murdoc in disbelief.

"Yes, Murdoc-san."

"Why, love?"

"I'm just done, I don't think I can maintain this life anymore," answered Noodle. She had a tear running down her right cheek.

"You don't look so sure, Noodle," said Murdoc.

"I am, Murdoc. I want to leave. I've thought about it for a while, and I want out."

Murdoc scratched his head. He couldn't believe that the little guitarist, his favorite member of Gorillaz, save himself, wanted out of the greatest band on Earth. "Have you talked to the dullard and Lards, yet?"

"No," said Noodle. "I don't want them to know that I wanted to leave." She knew that it would break their hearts, more than Murdoc's, to know that she wanted to leave. Especially 2-D.

"And, what do you want me to do, then?" asked Murdoc, taking another swig of his drink.

"I want you to help me figure out a plan make my…exit…believable," answered Noodle slowly.

"You mean, fake your death?" Noodle nodded. She knew that it would hurt the band by doing this, but she felt that this was necessary.

"All right, love, but only because you asked," said the bassist. "Now, I was thinking that we crash your windmill island. Have a big spectacle, lots of fire."

"Crash the Slowboat?" asked Noodle. Another tear ran down her face.

"Yeah, we'll crash it. Do you remember those helicopters that were chasing you in the, uh what was it, the 'Feel Good Inc.' video?" Noodle nodded. "Well, they're still after it, mainly because they think I'm on it. We could reveal the Slowboat's position, and they can take it down. We can even film it for 'El Mañana.'" Murdoc smiled at his genius.

"What about me, then?" asked Noodle.

"We'll have a parachute that only you and I know about, and you can get away from the burning island that took us so damn long to build," answered Murdoc. He finished that sentence with a bit of edge.

Noodle contemplated this idea. She could go down with her symbol of freedom. The fans could get closure with the helicopters from "Feel Good Inc." And, she would finally leave her family.

"Okay," said the girl. "We'll crash the Slowboat."

"This also works a bit out in my favor, as I will finally get those people off my back so I can continue playing my bass in peace," said the now smiling Murdoc. Noodle giggled at his ability to make their predicament into a win-win situation.

She then sighed, knowing how sad 2-D and Russel will be. They had been the closest people in her life, and she was not only about to leave them behind, but they will have voids in their hearts. Another tear.

"'Ey, love. It'll be all right," said Murdoc, who gave her a light hug. "I'll miss you, Axe Princess." Another tear on Noodle's face.

"I'll miss you too, Murdoc-san." Noodle then walked away and went to her room to pack and cry. She didn't know where she would go after the crash, but she was going to go somewhere. Nothing would stop her.

xXx

Noodle landed about half a kilometer from the Slowboat's crash. She had seen it grow into an even bigger fireball while she floated to the surface than it was when she was on it. She was also surprised that the helicopters had been firing at her, not just the floating island. Noodle turned around to face her symbol of freedom, just in time to see a bomb from one of the choppers fall and explode on impact.

Noodle burst into tears. Her windmill island was gone, her family thought she was dead, and she didn't know where to go. That was when she looked down and peered into her stomach. She hadn't felt it back on the island, but there was a single bullet hole, right in the middle of her abdomen. Noodle felt herself grow weaker by the minute, the pain washing over her small body. She fell down onto the rocky ground of the grey canyon. She was going to die, just like her band mates thought she had.

"Well, Miss Suzuki. Never thought I would see you so early. Or should I call you 'Noodle'?" asked a voice. It was a calm and confident voice. Noodle looked up to see a very dark figure walk toward her. It wore a black cloak and had a gas mask for a face. Its red lenses reflected the damaged face and tears back to the poor girl.

"Who…Who are you?" asked Noodle. She had struggled to form her words, the bullet wound taking all of her strength.

"I am an old friend of your bassist, Noodle. I was hoping that you were him, but your soul would do just fine, my dear," replied the voice.

"Are…are you…are you the Devil?" asked Noodle while heavily breathing.

"No, my dear. I am his Collector, his Lieutenant, and his oh-so humble Servant. Noodle, I am the Boogieman," answered the figure.

"No, God, please help me!" screamed Noodle, realizing that the fictional monster that had scared her so much when she was young and living in Kong was real. The monster that 2-D and Russel helped her fight against was indeed a real entity. And it was right in front of her.

The Boogieman walked closer to the screaming guitarist. He crouched down and a black fog began emitting from the ground. He leaned in close to Noodle's right ear and whispered, "He can't help you now. You're mine now. You'll be of great use to my Master." He then began to laugh a very sinister laugh. The black fog engulfed the two, and they disappeared.


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz. They are the intellectual properties of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. Support them and buy the albums and merchandise. This is for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others only.**

**Author's Note: Now begins the actual story. I don't know how long this story will be, and it is unlikely that I will update often.**

Chapter One

Noodle's body suddenly appeared in front of a set of black gates. The sky was a pale orange with dark black clouds casting an eternal shadow over the land. The ground was a volcanic brown and red. The air was filled with smoke and the screams of people. Despite all of Noodle's training in Japan, she wasn't prepared for this.

A man in a black suit appeared before Noodle. His suit was crisp and clean, contrasting with the dirty and hot volcanic rock. The only color he wore was his blood red tie and matching pocket square. He walked to Noodle with a cool confidence she had never seen before.

"Welcome to Hell, Miss Suzuki," said the man with a voice that reminded her of the American Midwest. He bowed a low bow, like what a stage actor does at the end of a play or musical.

Noodle hated being addressed by her real name. "It's Noodle," she replied with a new sense of defiance. Whoever this was didn't know whom he was messing with.

"Whatever. I am your host and new guardian in Hell," continued the man in the suit. "I'm sure you'll find your stay in your new home most satisfying." He had a menacing grin.

"I'm sure I won't stay long," said Noodle coolly. Her voice disguised her fear of this mysterious man.

"There is no escape from my domain, my dear. There is only suffering. If you do somehow leave, you are a wanted woman, and everyone you love will suffer with you upon your return," said the man.

"You're the Devil, aren't you?" asked Noodle, who finally understood this man's identity.

The Devil blinked, and revealed his eyes to be black, with irises of fire. His skin turned red, and the suit transformed into a black cloak around him. Horns grew out his skull and a pointed tail appeared from under the cloak. A crown of pure fire emerged above his head. "Yes, my dear Noodle, I am the Lord of the Underworld, the King of Hell, and the god to your bassist. I am Satan." He motioned to the Boogieman, who was standing behind the tiny guitarist. The Boogieman picked up Noodle by her arm and began to drag her along the ground.

"Where are you taking me?! Let go!" yelled Noodle, desperately trying to fight back the Boogieman's grip.

"To your new room," replied Satan. Noodle stopped struggling, knowing she couldn't undo the Boogieman's grip. She didn't even know where she would go if she did get loose.

It was a long thirty minutes, at least Noodle thought it was thirty minutes, to get to her new room. The Boogieman immediately threw her into it and shut the heavy metal door. "Enjoy your stay, Noodle," said the Devil menacingly.

Noodle looked around the room and began to cry. It was her room back at Kong, perfectly recreated in Hell. Sunlight was peering through the window. Shaun Ryder's head was still in its place. And 2-D stood right in the middle of the room.

"Why did yew leaf us?" asked 2-D. "Why did yew 'af to leaf?"

"I-I'm sorry, 2-D-kun," said the crying Noodle. She reached out to touch the singer, but it turned to ash and fell to the floor. She touched everything in the room, and it all turned to ash as well. The bed's ashy remains turned into a single rock slab as the new bed. The sunlight disappeared, and the light was gone. The room was now complete darkness. Noodle, the strong Japanese super-soldier, was alone in complete darkness, and there wasn't anything she could do.

xXx

Noodle was lying down on the rock slab bed after a long night; at least she thought it was through the night. She had difficulty sleeping on the rock and the complete darkness made it hard to tell time. It may have even been days since she had arrived.

Suddenly the door opened, and in walked the Boogieman. "My Lord Satan has beckoned for you," he said.

"To where?" asked Noodle.

"Don't ask questions! You only answer them," snarled the Boogieman.

Noodle reluctantly followed the Boogieman. They walked a long while, through winding staircases and hallways. They ultimately arrived in an office. It was a large room, with a single desk towards the back. Sitting at the desk was the Devil in his "business-man" attire.

"Hello, my dear," said Satan. Noodle didn't reply. "I hope you slept well the past three days. Most new souls sleep a very long time when they first arrive. We let you sleep, because we like it when you all are well-rested for the next eternity's activities."

"What kind of activities?" asked Noodle. The Boogieman leaned over to hit Noodle, but Satan stayed his hand.

"A special sort of activities, Noodle," said the Devil calmly. "You have information that I need. I want it very much."

"Information about what," asked Noodle.

"Your bassist."

"You want Murdoc? But he worships you," she protested.

Satan quickly moved over to Noodle and stared directed into the guitarist's emerald eyes. "He owes me his soul," he said.

"Why does Murdoc owe you his soul?" asked Noodle.

"Ah, so Mister Niccals never told you about how Gorillaz became successful? Well, my dear, it was all my doing," said the Devil, who was now pacing about the room. "You see, one day his old band was rehearsing, but they were terrible. Absolutely terrible. Murdoc left them in frustration. He sought me out, willing to give anything in order to be part of a successful band. I agreed to what he wanted, as long as he would give me his soul when they became famous. The Gorillaz is now one of the greatest bands on this Earth, especially after your little windmill island stunt."

Noodle was shocked at this. So, they weren't good, it was the Devil making them good. She was disgusted at him. The only reason Murdoc agreed to her leaving and crashing the Slowboat was so that Satan could take her soul instead of his.

"They were never your family, Noodle," continued the Devil. "Mr. Hobbs only pitied you. You are so young; you don't belong in a band. Mr. Tusspot didn't care either. All he cares about are his pills and his cigarettes. That and getting back together with the young Paula Cracker."

Noodle felt tears again. "You bastard, that isn't true!" she screamed. "That can't be true, they love me!"

"They don't, Noodle dear. They don't," replied Satan, still keeping his composure. He motioned to the Boogieman, and returned to his desk. "We'll get information from you, one way or another."

The Boogieman dragged Noodle back to her room. Tears were streaming down her face. _That can't be true,___she thought.

Once inside her room, Noodle saw 2-D standing there in the center. She just watched the apparition stare back at her. Then, 2-D turned his head and an apparition of Paula Cracker appeared. The two began to kiss each other with passion and love. Noodle just watched the two, tears streaming and a darkness growing inside her. She reached out to touch the two, hoping to make them disappear. They didn't. They just kept kissing in front of her, and Noodle was forced to watch.

"Stop! Please, stop!" yelled Noodle at the two apparitions. They kept kissing. Noodle then tried to find sleep, but couldn't over the sound of the two lovers, who obviously didn't miss Noodle.


End file.
